GoneFishin615
Starter
Round 2 saw LT Martinas Rankins, whom the Vikings had given a late 1st round grade, fall in their lap with the 56th pick of the draft. While he may be more of a project than Minnesota was anticipating, 24 year old Rankins still possesses the raw talent and intangibles that you look for in a football player. Good news for Martinas is that he doesn't have much competition as the Vikings offensive line is overflowing with mediocre to average players at best. Which at this point is exactly what the 2nd round pick is. Twin City Times gives a C- grade for this 2nd round pick.
Round 3 rolled around and the Vikings picked up 6'5 Allen Lazard, a wide receiver from Iowa State. While Thielen and Diggs did a tremendous job for the Vikings in 2017, they needed to add a redzone threat outside of Dalvin Cook and Eric Rudolph. Not only does Lazard have the size and hands to be a force in the redzone (214 catches with 22 TDs in his Cyclone career), he also is an above average run blocker which will enhance the Vikings ground attack when needed. Twin City Times gives a B+ grade for this 3rd round pick.
Minnesota did not have a 4th round pick. Their 5th round selection was QB Eric Dungey out of Syracuse. While he showed promise in college at times he was also wildly inconsistent. His career at the Big Orange saw him throw for over 6,500 yards with a 2:1 TD to INT ratio. If they can groom him into being more consistent, look for Dungey to give Teddy Bridgewater a run for his money. Twin City Times gives this draft pick a C+.
Round 6 the Vikings went with Texas Longhorn safety DeShon Elliott. This position was in major need as Andrew Sendejo is nearing the end of his career. DeShon has shown immediate promise as he has impressed the front office with his obsession over being the first to show up and last to leave the facilities. He also has a knack for always being around the ball and making plays when his team needs him the most. Look for the Vikings to put a lot of effort into grooming this young man into a starter early in the season. Twin City Times gives this draft pick an A.
Last and most certainly the least impressive is offensive guard Viane Talamaivo out of Southern Cal. One wouldn't expect to grab a day one starter with one of the last picks of the draft and you won't see one here either. You can expect Talamaivo to fit right in with this mediocre offensive line. Twin City Times draft grade for this pick is TBD.
Round 3 rolled around and the Vikings picked up 6'5 Allen Lazard, a wide receiver from Iowa State. While Thielen and Diggs did a tremendous job for the Vikings in 2017, they needed to add a redzone threat outside of Dalvin Cook and Eric Rudolph. Not only does Lazard have the size and hands to be a force in the redzone (214 catches with 22 TDs in his Cyclone career), he also is an above average run blocker which will enhance the Vikings ground attack when needed. Twin City Times gives a B+ grade for this 3rd round pick.
Minnesota did not have a 4th round pick. Their 5th round selection was QB Eric Dungey out of Syracuse. While he showed promise in college at times he was also wildly inconsistent. His career at the Big Orange saw him throw for over 6,500 yards with a 2:1 TD to INT ratio. If they can groom him into being more consistent, look for Dungey to give Teddy Bridgewater a run for his money. Twin City Times gives this draft pick a C+.
Round 6 the Vikings went with Texas Longhorn safety DeShon Elliott. This position was in major need as Andrew Sendejo is nearing the end of his career. DeShon has shown immediate promise as he has impressed the front office with his obsession over being the first to show up and last to leave the facilities. He also has a knack for always being around the ball and making plays when his team needs him the most. Look for the Vikings to put a lot of effort into grooming this young man into a starter early in the season. Twin City Times gives this draft pick an A.
Last and most certainly the least impressive is offensive guard Viane Talamaivo out of Southern Cal. One wouldn't expect to grab a day one starter with one of the last picks of the draft and you won't see one here either. You can expect Talamaivo to fit right in with this mediocre offensive line. Twin City Times draft grade for this pick is TBD.
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